Thursday, July 1, 2021

"...Speaking the Talk"


My friend Claude Horvath an dear radio colleague, and "FB" pal once asked me which of these two words was correct under current standards of American English.

"...snuck – sneaked?"
Both are correct. This since languages change. American English the fastest of all.
In my lifetime new words or word fragments have been added to American language,...note I don't say English. Walt Whitman noted such during our Civil War. Troops North, and South called their back packs "Shebang's". The word lives on as meaning your stuff or attitude.
"Yo" was an African American slave term "to move on" or leave. It became a term of greeting as it entered the Army with Black troops during WW1. It migrated to the fire, and police services with vets through the whole of the 20th century.

The term "Bro" has the same exact history. It entered the military with Blacks. It was widely used in Vietnam. It later moved with vets to fire police, and emergency services. Then via media into general usage with a few different meanings.
Btw right now "...axe is replacing ask. It appeared in Black inner cities post WW2, and now is spreading outward. We can thank 60's Hippies for "trip", as in that was a trip or that person is a trip.
The far right has just given us "...snowflake" to demean the compassionate. Business gawd help us has added "...prequel" to the language.
I love the American language it's just so damned, and handy fluid. I especially loves that Mid-Western phrase, "...talky-talk". Which mean just what it sez.

No comments:

Post a Comment

"...Fire Sale!"

I am now posting on >>>>  "Book of Days" (sidneyinhell.blogspot.com) This due to tech problems with Blogsplot.  The ot...